t^ 



PS 2544 
.P6 
1892 
Copy 1 



No. I 



PEN-LEAVES. 



BY ANA PERKIN. 



COPYRIGHT. — ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



Price 15 Cents. 



"xj^riM 



1^. 



C. Lezius, Eigh Hour Printer, !l3 Champlain Str 

1892. 



No. I. 



PEN-LEAVES 



BY ANA PERKIN, 



COPYRIGHT. — ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



Price 15 Cents. 



■^ 



C. L«ziui, £igh Hour Printer, II3 Ch»mpl«in Str»«t. 

1892. 






PRRFAGR 



From girlhood's early day, 
I loved the poet's lay; 
Many and many a time, 
I sought the flowing rhyme. 



MY PLATFORM. 

This earth belongs to all mankind, 
Each a chosen home shall find ; 
From clime to clime, o'er ev'ry sea, 
It shall be a country free. 

Rights of one rights of all shall be. 
One code, be it he or she, 
Self is owned by self alone, 
No inovation to be shown. 



Each to say the yes or no, 
Each in peace his way to go. 
Ye people, these are my demands, 
On this rock fair freedom stands. 



AN EIGHT-HOUR DAY 



Talking don't amount to much 
Without a practical touch ; 
We say we see an ugly flaw, 
And we talk about law and law. 



I've a place on Greenwood street, 
All complete and bright and neat ; 
It is made with greatest care, 
For the busy workmen there. 



There no basement can be found, 
Saving space by under ground ; 
I scorn the basement pen, 
A place unfit for beast or men. 



No five stories reaching high, 
Saving space by near the sky ; 
Earth is the place to dwell, 
High walls of greed and evil tell. 



Wanted the right kind of men, 
No rude vampires, no sir, not them. 
I have fixed the hours eight per day 
The pay ? the same ten hour pay. 

Man or woman, the same per day, 
For equal work is equal pay. 
Starvation pay ? there is none, 
I give fair pay for work well done. 



When we can no more agree, 
The workers peaceful go from me ; 
There is no club or legal fight, 
We aim to civil do the right. 



8 — 



WHAT THE SEAL WOULD SAY. 

Why is it, tell me, lady fine, 
That you would wear this skin of mine : 
I thought you had a skin your own^ 
Then why not let my hide alone. 

"Oh, it's warm," you pleading say, 
That is why you take it away. 
My skin without the wading try, 
'* It's cold," I think will be your cry. 



Lm but a seal, and yet I know. 
It's less for use, and more for show; 
Go pull the wool from of the sheep, 
A better warmth the wool will keep. 

Strange you cannot keep your grace, 
Without the warrior's evil chase ; 
For you my hide was not designed. 
Some better garb you well can find. 



— 9 



THE MESSENGER OF SPRING. 

Gone the Winter cold and dreary, 
Cometh now the Spring time cheery ; 
We will sing you woodland lays, 
In the balmy Spring-time days. 
Warble, warble ! do you hear ? 
Hearken ! leafy Spring is near. 

Soon the sun will warmly shine, 
On budding tree and climbing vine ; 
Varied echoes plainly tell, 
Creatures loveth Spring-time well. 
Warble, warble ! do you hear? 
Hearken ! leafy Spring is near. 

High within our leafy bowers, 
We will sing away the hours ; 
Swaying here and flitting there, 
Gliding through the upper air. 
Warble, warble ! do you hear? 
Hearken ! leafy Spring is near. 



— 10 — 

FREEDOM'S LAND. 

Ho ! for the land of the free. 
Where peace and Hberty shall be. 
Where might no more shall rule the right, 
Where passing days shall bring delight. 

The land of the free, 

Is the land for me. 

It shall compass earth around, 
It shall know no man-made bound ; 
Man's opinions shall be free, 
Speech and press for all shall be. 

The land of the free, 

Is the land for me. 

With no let of creed or race. 
Each shall find his fitting place ; 
Each shall make his own clear way, 
With no tyrant to say him nay. 

The land of the free, 

Is the land for me. 

Toil shall know no want of bread, 
Lucious plenty be instead ; 
By the cooling streams that flow, 
Man no parching thirst shall know. 

The land of the free, 

Is the land for me. 



— II — 



WHAT BABY WOULD SAY. 



Oh, it's warm, it's hot to-day, 

Why did they fix me this way ? 

Have they no sense at all ? 

It's no wonder I tug and squal. 
Just do come and see 
How they fixed baby me. 



I will kick and tug and squal ; 

They shall have no peace at all. 

Let them have sense and fix me right, 

Then there will be no baby fight. 
Just do come and see 
How they fixed baby me. 



wish there was no clothes at all, 
Then maybe I would not squal ; 
Come and count, and see the pile, 
That they put on me for style. 
Just do come and see, 
How they fixed baby me. 



— 12 — 

Fear I'll get the air and sun, 
Oh, such nonsense is almost fun 
Lots of ribbon-bows and lace, 
But no freedom baby grace. 
Oh, just come and see, 
How they fixed baby me. 



Hear me ! some one come and take me, 
Garments fit for baby make me ; 
Tear the bands that squeeze me so, 
Let me kick and coo and grow. 
Just do come and see, 
How they fixed baby me. 



3 — 



THE DOCTOR'S LECTURE. 

I heard of Dr. L years ago. Last 
night I went to hear her. 

I was surprised, I was even astonished. 
Think of an M. D. appearing before an 
audience in a train gown, and shoulder 
puffed sleeves. 

No wonder I weary of woman's work. 

Is this woman, after all her years of 
study and research still such a slave to 
fashion, or has she no better taste or ideas 
of dress than that ? 

In either case it is a sad commentary on 
woman's study and research of a subject 
so important as that of health. I am 
sorry to see a woman, especially an M. D., 
come before an audience, arranged in such 
an awkward, senseless style of dress. 

It speaks a volume for society, it speaks 
much for the woman herself I should be 
sorry that a girl-graduate of a college, in 
any study, should ever wear a train gown. 

What the doctor said about the corset 
was good. It was logical, as every 
student of the human system knows. 



— 14 — 

When she advised that the child's fine 
clothes be made and hung on the wall for 
admiration, rather than worn, I felt like 
applauding her. That was one thing in 
favor of helpless and punished child- 
hood. Yet I should advise that the fine 
clothes never be made. 

I am surprised that an M. D, should 
even own a train gown, / would not have 
one hang in my room. 

Oh, where is the depth and power of 
knowledge ? Oh. where is the insight and 
application of woman .'' Where ? 

Mind, knowledge, research, all bow at 
the shrine of senseless custom. Think of 
a doctor wearing black ! Think of a doc- 
tor wearing blocks, high or low, under her 
heels ! Think of a doctor wearing a train 
gozvn. Ha, ha ! 

Oh, the irony of knowledge and woman. 



15 — 



RELIEF FOR THE STARVING. 

I have examined the picture, "Uncle 
Sam and the Starving Russians," That is 
a vivid picture, and will doubtless impress 
the multitude very favorably. Neverthe- 
less, it does not impress me favorably. 
That picture both amuses and surprises 
me. 

I read "coffee," and smiled. Next, 
" tea," and mentally exclaimed, " I won- 
der there is not sugar!" and behold, the 
next glance, there was sugar. I then 
looked for tobacco, but did not see that. 

Sometime ago a doctor suggested in 
sending relief to Russia, that corn be sent 
rather than wheat, as being cheaper and 
affording the same nutriment. I thought 
that doctor had some sense. I would ask, 
how long will a pound of tea, a pound of 
coffee, a pound of sugar, keep a person 
from starving ? Even pork, cheese and 
oatmeal are comparatively poor food for a 
starving people. Ground oats are soon 
unfit for food. Corn, wheat, oats, peas 
and beans are substantial food for a stav-r 



— i6 — 

ing people. Some people seem to have 
strange ideas of economy and utility. 
Now, if Russia is starving, I think she can 
get elong right well, either well or sick, 
without tea, coffee and sugar. 

If you will give Russia some grain, let 
her grind it as needed for use and feed on 
it. I assure you she will not starve. 
When a people are starving the luxuries 
and follies of life, even in the matter of 
food, are superfluous. 



i; 



VEGETARIAN DIET, 

I am much pleased with the vegetarian 
articles that have appeared in the Twen- 
tieth Century. I have been a vegetarian 
more than ten years, and enjoy my diet 
very much. There is such an abundance 
and variety in the vegetable world that 
the most capricious appetite may be satis- 
fied. I cannot understand why people 
are so set on a meat diet. It is absurd. 
A vegetarian diet is more wholesome and 
superior every way. I adopted a vegeta- 
rian diet after reading a few vegetarian 
articles in a water cure journal. I changed 
my diet and my dress at the same time, 
and at the same time made myself very 
unpopular. I long since learned that cus- 
tom, however absurd, often outweighs 
ideas however sensible. 



WAYSIDE NOTES. 

Give us free speech and free press. 
Then the best will come as surely as comes 
the morning sunlight. Then we shall be 
a free and happy people. 



See the silly things of fashion and cus- 
tom that have existed for ages ! What is 
more absurd and barbarous than earrings ^ 



The mourning badge, for man or woman, 
is sufficient to tell the story. So simple, 
yet so expressive. 



Why does not a man put a prefix to his 
name, to explain his social relations .? 



The best weapon of men, 
Is the mighty pen. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




